Unlikely Alliances: Haohmaru, Jubei, Kagero fanfic
by bestrclfanficshere
Summary: Set at the beginning of the decline of the Edo Period, Haohmaru forms an auspicious friendship with Kibagami Jubei during the tumultuous aftermath of the Tenmei Famine as well as other familiar characters from both genres. Comments will speed updates
1. Prologue

_ Edo, Japan. Tenmei 3 (1783)_

The second year of the Great Tenmei Famine had brought the nation to near collapse. Riots erupted in cities and towns all over the country, a testament to the desperation of its starving citizens. In the twenty third year of his reign as shogun, Tokugawa Ieharu appeared relatively unconcerned with the near catastrophic proportions that the famine had reached. Though it seemed inconceivable that that the state of the nation could sink any further, the eruption of Mount Asama plunged the nation into greater chaos. For three months, the active volcano spewed a thick ash of pumice into the sky, finally culminating in a flood of molten lava that lasted more than half a day. The food supply had already proved woefully inadequate to meet the needs of the people, but now the fields that were to grow more rice were covered in ash and would not be fallow for years to come.

Incensed by the shogun's casual attitude towards the suffering of the people, General Gaoh Kyogoku Hinowanokami was unable to sit idly any longer while the cries of the peasantry continued unabated. From his lands in the Hinokawa region, he had set events in motion that would either force the shogunate to take action or end in his own demise.


	2. Chapter 2 The Beginning of the End

_Tenmei 4 (1784_), _Hinokawa Castle Stronghold, home of General Gaoh Kyogoku Hinowanokami_

"General!" Spurring his horse onward, a young soldier in battle armor galloped through the large wooden gates of the castle right to the steps of Gaoh Kyogoku's home. Dismounting hurriedly, he knelt as the general descended the steps.

"What is it?" he asked the breathless soldier.

"It is done!" was the excited reply. "_Wakadoshiyori_ Tamuna Yamashiro-no-kami Okitomo is dead!"

"_Yosh_!" A full year of painstaking planning was now coming to fruition. "And what of our assassin?"

The young man's tone became serious. "Takeda Gennosuke Rokesaburo did not escape alive." He looked at the ground. "_Wakadoshiyori_ Tanuma Tonomo-no-kami Okitsugu has apparently retained the services of the Koga Ninja under Sakaki Hyobu. When Gennosuke killed Yamashiro, his father ordered the ninja to bring him his head. He did not get far before they completed their task."

The general frowned at the news. "_Goukunou_!"

The castle chamberlain ran to his side and bowed, "_Hai_!"

"Make the necessary arrangements for his family," he instructed. "They must be generously compensated for their great sacrifice towards the cause."

"Huh!"

Dismissing the soldier, Kyogoku went to his study and ground ink onto his inkstone. Adding water to the stone, he took a brush and hurriedly wrote a letter on a small piece of parchment. Walking to his balcony, he placed the tiny message in a bamboo container and clipped it to the leg of his falcon. "Sa, Heihatchi, you must hurry," he coaxed. Flinging his gauntlet-clad arm in the air, he watched as the bird took flight. "It has begun," he said with determination.

"General!"

He turned to see the castle chamberlain on his knees. "What is it?"

"Takeda's wife – she has - she has committed seppuku!"

"What?"

The chamberlain continued, "She performed the ritual almost immediately after she was informed of his death."

Kyogoku was silent as he thought the situation over. "Did they have any children?"

"One," he confirmed. "A boy. He is three years old."

"What is his name?"

"Yaiba, Gaoh-sama."

Setting his jaw, Kyogoku decided, "You are to bring the boy into my household. He is to be raised as if he were one of my own and from this day forward no one is to speak of what happened to his parents. Is this understood?"

Huh!"

*************

Word had spread like wildfire in the capital of Edo about the assassination of the younger Tamuno _wakadoshiyori_ in front of his father as they returned from their meeting of the counselors of the state. Apparently an unknown assassin had posed as a beggar asking for alms and when he neared the young Tamuno, he slit the throat of the unsuspecting junior elder. Investigations were begun to uncover the group behind the assassination, but no definite leads surfaced, enraging the dead man's father.

"What do you mean you can't trace the assassin's origins?" he yelled at the frightened messenger. "There is no possible way that this was a random act of violence!"

"_Sumimaseng_, Tamuno-sama," the man said obsequiously. "We are doing our best to uncover who was behind the plot."

"Get out!" Tamuno screamed, throwing his desk at him.

Attempting not to flinch as the small lacquered table struck the wall next to his head, the messenger bowed obediently and shuffled backwards out of the room. Sitting down, Tamuno wracked his brain, trying to determine who would have the most cause to attack his family. It had to have been someone in the present government, someone who was powerful enough to ensure that his plans would never be directly attributed to him, but there were many such figures in the _bafuku_. It was a difficult time as Tamuno had been pushing for multiple reforms in the shogunate, including a very unpopular proposal to limit the restrictions on the xenophobic _Sakoku_ policy. Though he had envisioned more open trade with the west as a possible solution to the food shortage, the number of government officials that staunchly opposed his reforms was staggering and any one of them would stand to benefit from his tragedy if it meant the changes would not be instituted. He would write to Hyobu and offer him a hefty reward if he could reveal the identity of the party responsible for the death of his son.

***********

"_Goukunou_, you requested to see me?" Hattori Hanzo said, kneeling.

"Hanzo, I have a job for you and the Koga ninja," Hyobu began. "You heard about what happened to Tamuno?"

"His son was murdered in his presence, I believe," Hanzo replied. "Some of our clan tracked down the assassin and killed him."

"Correct. His father is understandably upset by this event and is having extreme difficulty in locating the instigator of the event. I want you to take a handful of the Koga ninja and see if you can shed some light into this matter."

"_Wakarimashta_," he said bowing. Walking out of the room, his eyes met those of a young woman, elegantly attired in a lilac kimono. Her lips curved in a small smile. "_Konbawa_, Kagero," he said formally.

"Hanzo," she acknowledged with a nod. "Anything new that I should know about?"

"Iyah," he returned, hurrying away. Later that evening, he met with a group of ninja that had gathered at his request. "We have a new assignment," he revealed. "We are to disperse ourselves in the major cities and follow any and all suspicious activity that might lead to the discovery of the man behind the Tamuno assassination. I will stay in Edo. The rest of you are to split into teams of two and set out tomorrow for your assigned provinces. Are there any questions?"

A ninja named Ryuzo shouted from the back, "Is Kagero coming?" The other ninja laughed at his question.

"Yes," another named Mitsurugi chimed in. "If she is, I volunteer to be her partner."

"You'd never get anything done, then," a ninja named Shinnosuke countered.

"That's not true," Mitsurugi shot back. "She'd get done." Another bout of laughter filled the room.

"Silence!" At Hanzo's order, the men stopped chuckling. "She's not comng."

"_Shoganei-na_," Ryuzo said from his corner. "You can't fuck her anyway, not unless you have a death wish."

"_So-da ne_," MItsurugi nodded, shrugging. "A man can dream."

"Enough!" Hanzo said with exasperation. "You depart in the morning. Make the necessary preparations."

************

_Wakadoshiyori: _Junior Elder

_yosh: _good, excellent

_goukunou_: chamberlain

_huh_: yes, sir

_seppuku_: ritual suicide by disembowelment

_sumimaseng_: please forgive me, my most sincere apologies

_bafuku_: government

_Sakoku_ _Policy_: policy limiting trade with outside countries except under specific conditions, under penalty of death

_wakarimashta_: I understand

_konbawa_: good evening

_iyah_: no

_shoganei-na:_ it doesn't matter, it can't be helped

_so-da ne_: that's right


	3. Chapter 3 Haohmaru meets Shizumaru

Three months had passed with no new information as to the identity of the person who had orchestrated the assassination of Tamuno the younger. Hanzo was about to relinquish up any hope of finding the culprit when he received an urgent letter from Shinnosuke who had been sent to the Hinawa prefecture. Removing the letter from the falcon's bamboo holder, he stroked the bird's head. "Thank you, Yoichi." The bird began to preen his feathers. Unrolling the paper, he read Shinnosuke's hastily scribbled note.

_General Gaoh is amassing an army of samurai and weapons in Hinokawa at his castle. Unable to confirm his intentions at this time, but it is likely that he intends to invade Edo and remove the shogun from power. _

Crumpling the paper in his fist, Hanzo ran to alert the chamberlain.

"So, General Gaoh intends to stage a coup," Hyobu thought aloud.

"It seems that way, Goukunou," Hanzo affirmed.

Hyobu smiled. "When the government is alerted to his illicit activity, they will surely march to Hinawa and pre-emptively attack Gaoh while he remains unsuspecting. If this information results in both the preservation of the capital city and the shogun, the reward for our clan will be great indeed." Taking a brush in hand, Hyobu wrote a letter to Tamuno and sealed it. "Send a rider to Tamuno's home without delay."

"Huh!"

***************

"Tamuno-sama," a servant knelt outside his door.

"What is it?" Tamuno asked, looking up from his scrolls.

"Sumimaseng, there is a messenger here with a message from Sakaki Hyobu. He states that it is of the utmost importance and must be read immediately."

"Bring it to me." Breaking the seal, Tamuno unrolled the fine paper and his face took on an expression of alarm. Standing up abruptly, he called to the servant, "Saddle my horse! I must see the Shogun immediately!"

************

"Chichue-sama!"

"Nani, Yaiba?" General Gaoh lifted the four year old Yaiba onto his lap. The little boy pouted sullenly. "Doshta, Ichiban?"

Yaiba sniffed. "Oka-sama says that you are going away from the castle for a little while."

"That's right, I have to attend to some business." He pinched the boy's cheek playfully.

Not about to be won over so easily, he asked, "What sort of business? Can't you have someone else take care of it?"

Gaoh laughed heartily at his adopted son's request. In the last year, he had become quite fond of the child, and having only daughters with his wife, it was a nice change to have a boy in the household. "I wish I could, my son, but I have to go help the hungry people."

"I suppose so," Yaiba said in a resigned tone. He looked over at his father's battle armor, which was arranged on a mannequin.

"Someday, that will be yours," Gaoh told him. The little boys eyes glittered at the idea of being able to wear something so grand. The sound of a loud bell ringing caused the general to look up suddenly. Suddenly, three soldiers requested permission to enter the room and knelt in front of him.

"General! We are undone!"

"Wait!" Gesturing to one of the servants, he motioned for him to take Yaiba out of the room. Once he was gone, he turned to the men and said, "What do you mean?"

They wore a panicked expression. "The Shogun's army is within a few miles of the castle!"

"What?"

"They must have left Edo a few days ago. General, they outnumber us twenty to one!" The general said nothing. "My lord, what shall we do?"

Gaoh paced the room for a moment, then walked to his armor. Touching the lacquered plates, he instructed, "Assemble the warriors and take the women and children out of the castle! Hurry!" Putting on his armor, he readied himself to face his fate. "Grant victory for our cause," he prayed to the heavens. "And if you cannot, spare the people from any further misery. They have suffered long enough."

Pandemonium had broken out in the castle. Women, their arms full of children scrambled to pack a few necessities before fleeing while the men rushed to prepare weapons for the standoff that would ensue.

"They've breached the outer gates!" came the cry from outside.

"Kso!" the general swore. Racing into the courtyard, he saw with alarm that the shogun's soldiers were swarming through the gates. The samurai under the general's command, fought valiantly but they only succeeded in slowing their advance, overwhelmed by their superior numbers. Unsheathing his katana, Gaoh charged into the battle.

"General," an older samurai shouted. "You must go! This battle is lost!" He ran the length of his sword through a hapless solder.

"Fool!" he yelled angrily. "Will I run while the rest of you die fighting? Honor will not allow it. If I am killed so be it, but I will not live in shame." Gaoh raised his sword and gutted a soldier that attacked him when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side. Another of the shogun's men had embedded the tip of his sword in his side.

"General!" The remaining samurai tried in vain to fight their way towards him as more soldiers began to attack the wounded Gaoh.

"_MATTEH_!"

Tamuno rode to where his soldiers held Gaoh at bay. "We want him alive. There are questions that he must answer before he is allowed to die." The general glared defiantly at him. "Take him into custody!" Tamuno ordered. Yanking him roughly to his feet, the soldiers led Gaoh away. Calling over another group of men, Tamuno instructed them, "I want his children hunted down and killed, down the last one. I want their noses as proof of their death. Payment for the death of my son. Go!"

"Huh!"

**************

Yaiba's nanny ran as fast as she could carrying him on her back. Hearing the sound of horses nearing her, she looked over her shoulder in terror. "Yaiba!" she told him breathlessly. "Never tell anyone what your real name is, do you understand me?"

"What should I say it is?" he asked.

"Anything!" She thought of her brother's name. "Shizumaru. Say your name is Shizumaru!""

"Hai," he said in a frightened voice.

Stopping, she took the boy off her back and hid him behind some bushes. "Stay out of sight!" she hissed.

"_Ba-Chan_!" he whimpered, on the verge of tears.

"_Daijobu_," she said trying to smile. "Remember what I said about your name. I will come back for you as soon as I can." She turned and ran from the spot.

Hours passed and the sky began to darken as day changed to dusk, then night. Shivering in fear, Yaiba tried not to jump at the slightest sound. Finally, hunger drove him to leave his hiding place and creep out into the street. Looking this way and that, he made his way down the road, praying that no one saw him. So intently was he glancing over his shoulder that he didn't notice until it was too late and he ran smack into a stranger. With a small shriek of fear, he fell backwards, trembling.

The man that he had bumped stared down at him. Extremely muscular, his abundant jet-black hair was tied in a long ponytail except for a few spiked strands that stood straight up. A long sword was slung across his back, with one arm casually resting on the hilt. He wore a simple black and white robe and pants and a large bottle hung from a red string tied to his scabbard. Red cloth wrapped both his feet and forearms, and his feet were shod in worn straw sandals. "You okay?" he asked. Yaiba just shook like a leaf, frozen to the spot. "Where are your parents, little boy?" he tried. Still he gave no answer. He decided to make one more attempt. "What's your name?"

"Y – Shizumaru," he stammered, catching himself.

The big man smiled affably. "Well Shizumaru-kun, _yorushku-na_. My name's Haohmaru. Got a last name?"

Yaiba's lips trembled. "I don't know what it is, my parents are dead."

A sympathetic look warmed Haohmaru's features. "Well that makes two of us. What are you doing all alone on the road? Who takes care of you?"

The boy burst into tears, which instantly made Haohmaru extremely uncomfortable as he had little to no experience on how to deal with children. "I don't know where she is and now I'm lost. I don't even remember where I was supposed to wait." He wailed even harder.

"Shhh-shh-shh!" Haohmaru tried to sooth him with no success. "Oh, I know, here!" Reaching into a little bag, he pulled out a rice ball. "You must be hungry, huh? Go on, take it." The boy sniffled and took the rice ball in his tiny hands. He looked at Haohmaru's face and when he nodded, Yaiba began devouring the food. When he had finished, Haohmaru said kindly, "Want to come with me? You can stay with me tonight and maybe you can find who you're looking for tomorrow when it's light out. How does that sound?" The boy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and nodded with a small smile. "Okay, but you have to promise, no more crying okay?" he said with a business-like manner. Again another nod. "Well, Shizumaru, ikkuzo – eh?" He looked down to see that the little boy had grabbed his large index finger in his rice-covered hand. Seeing the imploring look on his round face, Haohmaru decided not to object and allowed the child to hold his hand as they walked.

*****************

_matteh_: wait

_ba-chan_: granny

_daijobu_: it's okay

_yorushku-na_: how do you do

_ikuzo_: let's go


	4. Chapter 4 Harakiri

Tanumo awoke feeling refreshed and was looking forward to the events of the day. After dressing and enjoying his breakfast, he sipped his tea and looked out the window. It was going to be a beautiful summer day.

"Tamuno-sama?"

"Hai?"

"A messenger left something for you. He said that you would be most pleased to receive it," the servant informed him.

"You may enter and leave it on the floor," he said haughtily.

"Hai." Sliding the door open, the servant placed a package wrapped in a cloth with both hands on the floor and bowing his leave, walked backwards out of the room.

Untying the knot at the top of the bundle, Tamuno pulled the layers of cloth away to reveal a small wooden box painted in a black lacquer finish. Lifting the lid, a smile of great satisfaction spread over his face and he shut the box with a small laugh.

"Tamuno-sama?"

"What is it?" he asked, stroking the shiny surface of the box.

"Everything is assembled and they are ready to begin," the voice behind the door answered.

"Yosh," he smiled, picking up the box. "I will be outside shortly."

Gathered in the courtyard were approximately twenty soldiers who stood in a line before general Gaoh. Dressed entirely in simple white robes, he sat in front of a small table with a small knife placed upon it, his hands resting on his knees. As the soldiers bowed to Tamuno, he looked up.

"Gaoh-sama," Tamuno said with mock cordiality, "I trust this day finds you well?" Gaoh remained silent, his gaze unbroken with quiet defiance. Pacing casually around the seated man, he said casually, "So ends your treasonous attempt at gaining power." He clucked his tongue. "Such a waste of many fine warriors."

"At least they died with honor," Gaoh said simply.

Tamuno walked a few steps away from him and unexpectedly turned quickly, slapping his face harshly. "Do not speak of honor with me, general. After murdering my son before my eyes, you have no right to even think the word."

Gaoh's demeanor remained unruffled. "I did what I felt was necessary to help the people of this country. When the shogun decides that building palaces and holding festivals takes precedence over the lamentations of his subjects, when parents are forced to choose between abandoning their children or watching them slowly starve to death, something had to be done. I have no regret about my conduct and would gladly do it again if given the chance."

Enraged by his serene attitude, Tamuno took the box from behind his back and showed it to the general. "Then there is one more thing I would like you to see before you are allowed to take your life." Opening the lid, he showed its contents to Gaoh. Several noses too small to belong to adults sat neatly arranged in a bed of salt. "Do you recognize them? You should, as they belonged to your daughters." A triumphant laugh escaped him as he watched Gaoh struggle to maintain his composure. "Initially I thought of asking for the ears, but since they have two of those, I wanted to make sure there were no mistakes in the arithmetic," he said cruelly.

"Bakkemon!" Gaoh cursed at him. Tears spilled over his eyes.

He laughed again. "Do not worry, general. You will be reunited with them soon enough, though you may have some difficulty initially in recognizing them." Nodding to the soldier next to Gaoh, he took a seat in front of him. Standing behind the general, the soldier drew his katana and held it ready.

Doing his best to keep his hand from shaking, Gaoh reached for the knife and pulled it out of its sheath. Pulling his robes away from his stomach, he held the knife to his abdomen and whispered, "Forgive my failure." Plunging the knife into his gut, he resolutely dragged it across his belly, his blood spurting everywhere.

"KYEEEEHHHHHHHH!" With a shrill cry, the soldier behind him struck Gaoh's head and was immediately drenched by the fountain of blood that sprayed from his skull. The general slumped over the table, his eyes staring upwards.

Tamuno fanned himself and told the soldier wielding the sword, "Cut his head off and have it placed on a spike as a reminder to all who would attempt to subvert the will of the shogun." Standing up he stretched and remarked, "It _is_ an exceptionally beautiful day today."

***************

"Sensei, how is he?" Haohmaru walked into the little room to see Yaiba still sleeping in his master's bed.

"He has been asleep for a long while," the old man said, stroking his thin beard with his bony fingers.

"I think he is an orphan," Haohmaru guessed.

"When he wakes up, you can take him back into town and make some inquiries – see if you can find his family."

"Hai." The boy stirred in the bed and then sat up. "Ohaiyo, Shizumaru-kun. Hungry?" Haohmaru greeted him. The boy nodded. "Come have some breakfast and we will go see if we can find the person you lost yesterday." His eyes brightened and he followed Haohmaru out of the room.

After finishing their meal, the pair walked to the capital city together. After a few miles, Yaiba began to lag behind. "Doshta, Shizumaru-kun?" Haohmaru asked.

"I'm tired," the boy said wearily. "Can we stop for a moment?"

Haohmaru sat down on a log and Yaiba followed his example. Uncorking his sake bottle, Haohmaru took a big swig and offered it to Yaiba who took one sniff and made a face. "_Yadda_. _Kse!"_

Haohmaru looked at him dubiously. "This is high quality stuff, you know," he pointed out before taking another sip.

"No, thank you," Yaiba repeated.

Corking his jug, Haohmaru slid his sword back into his obi and stood up. "Ready?" The boy nodded and they continued on their way. Upon reaching the city gates, Haohmaru noticed that there was a series of severed heads on display with a sign indicating that this was their punishment for conspiring against the shogun. He was about to walk on when he heard a thud from behind him and turned to find Shizumaru collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

***************

_yadda_: gross

_kse_: it stinks


	5. Chapter 5: Promises

Shizumaru woke up not knowing where he was. When his vision finally came into focus, he saw Haohmaru looking at him curiously. "_Daijobu_?" he asked.

His head felt fuzzy. "What happened?" What is this place?"

Haohmaru sat down and leaned his big katana against his shoulder. "We were walking towards the city and you passed out behind me. This is Kaniko-_sama's_ home. My _sensei_," he explained. "What made you faint?"

Shizumaro didn't have the slightest idea. "I don't know. Maybe I was tired."

Haohmaru laughed, nodding. "You did say you needed a break from walking. Sorry if I pushed you too hard."

"_Baga_," his elderly master chided, entering the room with some food. "As fast as you walk, you expected this poor child to keep up?" Setting down the tray, he motioned for the boy to eat. "You must be hungry, eh? Eat, eat, eat."

"Well, Shizumaru-_kun_, no one seems to know what happened to your family," Haohmaru said apologetically.

Shizumaru dropped the rice ball he had taken a bite of. "What will I do now?" he despaired.

"_Shinpai shinai-deh_, _ichiban_," the old man said comfortingly. "Until you figure this out, you can stay here with us." The boy took some comfort at his offer and resumed eating.

"_Sensei_," Haohmaru pulled him aside. "I plan to leave tomorrow morning."

"Searching for that worthy opponent?" his teacher responded with a knowing smile.

"_Mochiron_," he grinned back. "No one in Edo seems to offer much of a challenge."

"Where will you go?"

"Who knows?" he said shrugging, unconcerned. "I'll see how I feel tomorrow and wherever I end up is wherever I end up." He became serious suddenly. "Will you be okay looking after the boy on your own, _sensei_?"

Kaniko laughed heartily at his questions. "If I could handle you for so long, this child will seem like a reprieve in comparison," he said, still laughing.

"_Hai_, _hai_, _hai_," Haohmaru said with mock annoyance. Changing subjects, he rubbed his stomach and remarked, "Boy, am I hungry! I think I'll go join Shizumaru."

After they had finished their meal, Haohmaru unrolled their bedding and looked forward to a good night's sleep before setting off in the morning. Scratching his chest contentedly, he was about to nod off when he heard Shizumaru call his name. "_Nani_?" he said, without opening his eyes.

"Are you going away tomorrow?" he asked in a small voice.

"Yep." He scratched himself once more and yawned loudly.

The boy was quiet for a moment and then added, "Do you know when you'll be back?"

Haohmaru opened his eyes at the sad tone of his words. Looking over at him, he saw that the boy had a few tears in his eyes. Feeling pity for the child, he tried to sound optimistic and said, "Oh probably a few days or so."

"Okay."

Trying to think of something to distract the boy, Haohmaru ruffled his hair and promised, "Tell you what, when I get back, I'm going to make you my _kohei_ and teach you how to be a genius with a sword. What do you think of that?"

Shizumaru's expression lightened. "You'll be my _sempai_?"

"Sure. But it's not going to be all fun and games, I take my swordfighting _very_ seriously, and any disciple of mine had better do the same," he said with exaggerated seriousness. "So, you still game?"

"Mm!" he agreed, his eyes shining.

"Alright then, my first order to you as your _sempai_ is that you go to bed and get some rest, okay?"

"_Hai, sempai_," Shizumaru said obligingly. "Goodnight, _sempai_."

"Good night, _kohei_."

In no time at all, the boy was asleep and Haohmaru found that he rather liked the kid. Turning over, within minutes, his loud snoring filled the room.

The next morning, Haohmaru slung his sword over his shoulder and bowed his leave to his master and his new charge. "Now, _kohei_," he said imperiously, "I want you to be on your best behavior while I am gone. I will not tolerate any embarrassing antics in my absence? Is this understood?" His master tried to suppress a smile as he stood behind the boy.

"_Hai, sempai_!" Shizumaru dutifully replied.

"_Yosh_!" he said approvingly. The boy's eyes reflected his pride at the compliment "We will commence training when I return." Winking at him, he turned on his heel and began walking jauntily. Shizumaro ran outside and watched until he disappeared from sight.

* * *

_daijobu: _are you okay?

_shinpai shinai-deh_: don't worry

_ichiban: _little one

_mochiron: _of course

_nani_: what

_kohei: _junior, protege

_sempai: _senior, mentor

_yosh_: good


	6. Chapter 6: Sempai and Kohei

"_Sempai!_ _Sempai_, wake up!" Shizumaru rocked Haohmaru's snoring body as hard as he could with no luck. After a year of living with him, he could never get used to how torpid Haohmaru was in the morning. Fed up, he pinched his _sempai's_ nose shut until he woke up sputtering.

"_BAGA_!" he shouted with annoyance. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Just in case he decided to take a swat at him, Shizumaro leapt back nimbly out of reach. Even though he was groggy and irritated, Haohmaru couldn't help but feel a touch of pride at how agile the boy had become. "You promised we'd go fishing today," he said sullenly. "I've been awake for almost two hours."

"You mean I promised you I'd let you _watch_ me go fishing," Haohmaru clarified with a big yawn.

"Whatever," he said impatiently. "I'm hungry."

Haohmaru's stomach rumbled loudly in agreement. "Whew, I guess I am too." Jumping to his feet, he stretched with a loud groan and grabbed his sword. "Get a basket, _kohei_. We're going to need it." Shizumaru finally smiled and went to go find one.

When they had arrived at the riverbank, Haohmaru carefully searched for a spot that was both shallow and slow moving enough for Shizumaru to stand in and beckoned him into the water. Raising his sword with both hands, he looked over his shoulder at the boy and said, "Ready?" Shizumaru nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, here we go. CHYEH!!!" Bringing down his katana with great force, Haohmaru struck the water's surface with such speed that the aftershock of his blow actually parted the stream for about ten feet and sent a spray of water into the air. When the water had settled, about a dozen fish could be seen flopping on their sides on the riverbank. "Breakfast is served," he said grandly.

After sliding the fish onto sticks, Haohmaru made a fire and set their catch over the flames to cook. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching you do that," Shizumaru said gleefully.

"Well, don't give me any more aggravation and maybe I'll teach you how to do it," he warned, taking one of the fish in his hands. "_Oishii_," he sighed happily with his mouth full, after biting into it. Go on, _kohei_, eat up. I can always scare up some more." Shizumaru casually helped himself to one of the fish as Haohmaru let out a very resonant belch.

"_Sempai_, that's a bit rude isn't it?"

Picking his teeth with his fingernails, Haohmaru gave him a dismissive look and returned, "What do I need to impress _you_ for?" After stuffing himself with a few more, he patted his belly contentedly and took out his sake bottle.

"_Sempai_, I think you drink too much too," Shizumaru added solemnly.

"_Uruseh-na_!" he shot back, sounding peeved. "Who asked you anyway?" He took a sip and lay back against a rock. Folding his arms behind his head, he looked up at the sky and remarked, "Great day for a trip."

"Are you going away again?"

"Yep. I have a feeling this time I'll find him."

Shizumaru looked unhappy at his confirmation. "How long will you be gone this time?"

"Probably the same as last time."

"Are you sure?" he asked doubtfully.

Haohmaru looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Have I ever lied to you?" Shizumaru shook his head. "Besides," he continued, "if you want me to stay, you better get good soon so you can beat me. Then I won't have to go looking for an opponent."

"I _am_ only five," he reminded him flatly.

"And that's an excuse?"

The boy stuck his tongue out at him and kept on eating. Seeing that they were nearly out of fish, he stood up and waded back into the river, this time to a deeper, faster moving section. Dropping his fish, Shizumaru scrambled to his feet and ran to get a better view. "CHYEH!!" Again the fish flopped about on the riverbank but this time there were more of them. Shizumaru hooted in delight. "We'll bring those back for _sensei_," Haohmaru said, stepping out of the water. Putting his finger to his chin, he mused, "I need to think of a good name for that move." He held up his katana to eye level and examined it.

Gathering the fish, Shizumaru asked," When will you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, probably," he said, tossing his sword into the air. Picking up the scabbard, he extended his arm and caught the blade neatly in its sheath.

Shizumaru applauded admiringly and hefted the basket of fish off the ground. "Do you know where you'll go?"

"Do I ever?" was the amused reply. "Here, gimme that." Taking the basket, Haohmaru hung it by the handles on the hilt of his sword. "Well, young _Kohei_, now that we're pleasantly full, shall we go home and train?"

"_Hai, Sempai_!"

* * *

_oishi_i: tasty, delicious

_uruseh-na_: shut up


	7. Chapter 7: A Worthy Opponent

_Tenmei 5 (1785), Shizuoka Prefecture_

The devastating effects of the merciless famine showed no signs of abating. Now in the third year of the Great Tenmei Famine, thievery was at an all time high as the people degenerated into petty crime in their desperation to feed themselves. One fortunate soul who was not so destitute enjoyed a white rice ball as he walked. As he crossed the river, a spear suddenly punctured the wooden bridge in front of his feet, barely missing his toes. Laying in wait under the bridge were three men who now revealed themselves. Two flanked the man on the rails of the bridge. The third was behind him.

"We lost three hundred pieces of gold, thanks to your meddling," he began. "We won't go back empty handed.

Nonplussed, the traveler held out his rice ball and said pleasantly, "If your hands are so empty, will you hold this?"

The leader of the gang sneered and his henchmen jumped into the air, ready to attack. Throwing his food into the air, he easily dodged the first attackers spear, and catching it in one hand he used it to knock him off his feet. The second assailant lunged at him with a sword but his blow was blocked by his companion's spear and he received a hard head butt after failing to strike. The last man raised his hand, which had a hole in the palm and there was the sound of gunfire as his target leaned his head out of the path of the bullet. Drawing his sword with lightning quick speed, he slashed, giving the man barely enough time to leap out of the mechanical suit he had been wearing. Returning his sword to its scabbard, he held out his hand as the rice ball fell into it. After watching his suit splinter and his cronies fall unconscious into the water below, he continued to raise his gun until the barrel fell off, cleaved by the swordsman's blade. Still recovering from the shock, he sputtered, "Sir, is it true they hired you for only 20 pieces of gold?"

"Yep."

The now tiny man was dumbstruck. "The sword we stole from them was a priceless treasure, given to them by the shogun himself, and they're only willing to pay 20 pieces to get it back?" He laughed derisively. "Fools!"

"They're a poor, small clan," was his matter of fact reply as he resumed eating his rice ball. "Trying to swindle 300 pieces for a sword is asking to much."

"Fuck you!" he spat at his retreating figure. "Shut the hell up!"

"_Oi_," a voice called to him from the edge of the bridge.

Turning to look in the direction of the person, he saw a burly man watching him. "Yes?"

"You're pretty handy with a sword," the stranger said with genuine admiration.

The man pushed the remainder of his rice ball into his mouth with his thumb. "I suppose I do alright," he mumbled with his mouth full.

"My name's Haohmaru," he said by way of introduction.

"Jubei, Kibagami Jubei," the man returned.

Haohmaru grinned. "This may sound a bit strange, but would you fight me?"

Jubei raised his brows. "You're right – that does sound strange. Why?"

"I'm a swordsman, as well," he explained, "and I'm always looking for talented fighters to help me hone my skills. That's actually why I came to Shizuoka. You seem ideal for my purposes. So, what do you say?" He crossed his arms and waited for his response.

"I don't know about this," Jubei said warily.

Haohmaru's face fell with obvious disappointment. "Oh, come on, help a guy out huh?" He reached behind his back and produced a bottle. "How about we have a drink while you think it over?"

There was something very pleasing in his cheerful and easygoing manner and Jubei couldn't help smiling. "Very well. Shall we find a place to settle for the night first? It looks like a pretty serious storm is brewing." As if on cue, lighting flashed overhead.

"Sure thing!" he said jovially. There should be some good inns on the way to Shimoda Village, seeing how it's such a busy seaport town."


End file.
